Hello to everyone! I found this forum about 4 weeks post op when PT was becoming too difficult for me. I cannot thank you all enough for sharing your experiences, knowledge and support for this most difficult recovery.
My surgery was Monday, March 13, 2017, and my hospital experience was excellent, I don't have one complaint! Nurses and PT were very caring and supportive. PT consisted only of walking and doing their "bridge of steps" and the day after my surgery the PT actually stopped the session because he was concerned about my blood pressure, which he took mid session, it was 90 over something and he said, we're done here, and asked if I still wanted to walk back to my room or be wheeled there in the recliner I was sitting in. I honestly didn't feel bad so opted to walk, but his assistant was right behind me with said recliner. I walked back to my room fine.
I was discharged later in the evening on the day after surgery, which was Tuesday.
I went to my first out patient PT the next day, 2 days after surgery. Just getting into the car, out of the car and into the building and then the reverse to go home was beyond difficult as I'm sure you all understand. I will say that the session was fine, basically just an introduction and assessment and the therapist was gentle and had a very calm voice, so that was nice. So far so good. But I wish I had known then what I know now, that it was not necessary for me to have that appointment at 2 days post op!
From then on I went to out patient PT Monday Wednesday and Friday for the next 4 weeks. In general it was not aggressive, definitely no where near as bad as some experiences on here that I've read about, however after reading here there were some aggressive moments, every appointment they pushed my knee to a painful place to measure. The exercises were not painful and all 4 therapists were pleasant and caring. (as they gently moved my knee to a painful place get the highest measurement but I thought then that was the way it had to be, and they "only" did that once per appointment.)
At 3.5 weeks post op they introduced the bike. The PT told me to just rock back and forth and only try a full rotation if I felt ready. Well, at that point in time I knew one had to work hard, so I somehow did manage a couple of rotations, especially since the first time you can do that they ring a bell to celebrate and stupid me wanted them to ring the bell for me, and they did, but I cried the entire time I was on the bike ( as well as other times in the previous weeks when they pushed my knee too far) My poor husband stood helplessly next to me holding my purse and handing me tissues, since we both thought this was how it should be. I recovered "pretty well" within 24 hours, so when I went to PT again 2 days later, Friday,
I rode the bike again and tried even harder, did more rotations and cried less. At the time I thought that was success. However, this time it took 3 days to recover. I was supposed to start pool therapy on Monday, 4 weeks post op, but I was still hurting and thought I'd damaged the joint so I called Monday morning and told them this experience so they had me come to the office instead of the pool and assured me I was fine and by then I did feel better. I refused the bike after that and they were ok with my decision.
My next appointment was 2 days later, on Wednesday and I did go to the pool. Oh my! I am now 4 weeks and 2 days post op and they had me in the pool for 50 minutes! I don't even know how many exercises I did that required me to bend my knee, as well as walking frontwards, sidewards and even backwards! I was so scared, I was not steady on my feet yet on land, let alone in a crowded YMCA pool with water moving a bit since there were at least 20 people or more in the pool. When they finally let me out I had to walk foot over foot ( like normal) up the steps to get out, probably at least twice per foot, I don't remember
This took another 3 days to recover from so I started googling stopping therapy which eventually led me here. I spoke on the phone with the pool instructor and she agreed that it might be too much for me at this point, so I was back to office. The best part at this point is that they are a busy office and it's hard to schedule appointments if they are not in advance, so for the next month I was only scheduled on Friday's and thanks to Bonesmart I cancelled some of them.
Back in the office the exercises were fine, I only did as many as I wanted but still let them push my knee which at this point didn't hurt as much as it had earlier, and I guess still tied into their thinking, I wanted that higher number.
I have never been measured on my own so I have no idea what my actual rom is. Early on common sense told me it wasn't a true measurement if I couldn't do it myself.
Anyway, I am now 5.5 months out, stopped PT on May 5, with their approval, so I got an "honorable discharge". I am not doing any exercises, just my normal activity.
It is still a challenge, as I'm still not halfway through, but that's the way it is. I have not had any complications for which I am thankful. Any time I have had a concern I google whatever the issue then add post op tkr Bonesmart and it brings me here to someone who's had a similar experience.
I will write later, as I've probably already written a book here, but wanted to introduce myself and tell about my beginning.
Thanks again to everyone who posts on this forum, I don't know what I would have done without you all!!!
My surgery was Monday, March 13, 2017, and my hospital experience was excellent, I don't have one complaint! Nurses and PT were very caring and supportive. PT consisted only of walking and doing their "bridge of steps" and the day after my surgery the PT actually stopped the session because he was concerned about my blood pressure, which he took mid session, it was 90 over something and he said, we're done here, and asked if I still wanted to walk back to my room or be wheeled there in the recliner I was sitting in. I honestly didn't feel bad so opted to walk, but his assistant was right behind me with said recliner. I walked back to my room fine.
I was discharged later in the evening on the day after surgery, which was Tuesday.
I went to my first out patient PT the next day, 2 days after surgery. Just getting into the car, out of the car and into the building and then the reverse to go home was beyond difficult as I'm sure you all understand. I will say that the session was fine, basically just an introduction and assessment and the therapist was gentle and had a very calm voice, so that was nice. So far so good. But I wish I had known then what I know now, that it was not necessary for me to have that appointment at 2 days post op!
From then on I went to out patient PT Monday Wednesday and Friday for the next 4 weeks. In general it was not aggressive, definitely no where near as bad as some experiences on here that I've read about, however after reading here there were some aggressive moments, every appointment they pushed my knee to a painful place to measure. The exercises were not painful and all 4 therapists were pleasant and caring. (as they gently moved my knee to a painful place get the highest measurement but I thought then that was the way it had to be, and they "only" did that once per appointment.)
At 3.5 weeks post op they introduced the bike. The PT told me to just rock back and forth and only try a full rotation if I felt ready. Well, at that point in time I knew one had to work hard, so I somehow did manage a couple of rotations, especially since the first time you can do that they ring a bell to celebrate and stupid me wanted them to ring the bell for me, and they did, but I cried the entire time I was on the bike ( as well as other times in the previous weeks when they pushed my knee too far) My poor husband stood helplessly next to me holding my purse and handing me tissues, since we both thought this was how it should be. I recovered "pretty well" within 24 hours, so when I went to PT again 2 days later, Friday,
I rode the bike again and tried even harder, did more rotations and cried less. At the time I thought that was success. However, this time it took 3 days to recover. I was supposed to start pool therapy on Monday, 4 weeks post op, but I was still hurting and thought I'd damaged the joint so I called Monday morning and told them this experience so they had me come to the office instead of the pool and assured me I was fine and by then I did feel better. I refused the bike after that and they were ok with my decision.
My next appointment was 2 days later, on Wednesday and I did go to the pool. Oh my! I am now 4 weeks and 2 days post op and they had me in the pool for 50 minutes! I don't even know how many exercises I did that required me to bend my knee, as well as walking frontwards, sidewards and even backwards! I was so scared, I was not steady on my feet yet on land, let alone in a crowded YMCA pool with water moving a bit since there were at least 20 people or more in the pool. When they finally let me out I had to walk foot over foot ( like normal) up the steps to get out, probably at least twice per foot, I don't remember
This took another 3 days to recover from so I started googling stopping therapy which eventually led me here. I spoke on the phone with the pool instructor and she agreed that it might be too much for me at this point, so I was back to office. The best part at this point is that they are a busy office and it's hard to schedule appointments if they are not in advance, so for the next month I was only scheduled on Friday's and thanks to Bonesmart I cancelled some of them.
Back in the office the exercises were fine, I only did as many as I wanted but still let them push my knee which at this point didn't hurt as much as it had earlier, and I guess still tied into their thinking, I wanted that higher number.
I have never been measured on my own so I have no idea what my actual rom is. Early on common sense told me it wasn't a true measurement if I couldn't do it myself.
Anyway, I am now 5.5 months out, stopped PT on May 5, with their approval, so I got an "honorable discharge". I am not doing any exercises, just my normal activity.
It is still a challenge, as I'm still not halfway through, but that's the way it is. I have not had any complications for which I am thankful. Any time I have had a concern I google whatever the issue then add post op tkr Bonesmart and it brings me here to someone who's had a similar experience.
I will write later, as I've probably already written a book here, but wanted to introduce myself and tell about my beginning.
Thanks again to everyone who posts on this forum, I don't know what I would have done without you all!!!
Last edited: